12/04/2025
Local 4710 Statement on Recent Elk Creek Fire Legal Events
Elk Creek Firefighters Local 4710 represents firefighters who respond to 911 calls in this community, and our work reflects their commitment to protecting the residents of Elk Creek District and the Conifer area. Together with our volunteer brothers and sisters, we share a common mission: serving this community and building a stronger, more effective fire and emergency service system. Throughout this legal process, Local 4710 has supported a collaborative, transparent, and community-centered approach to planning the future of fire and emergency services. We have stood behind the Chiefs as they worked to make decisions grounded in public safety and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and we support the district’s recent decision to end costly litigation and refocus those resources on public safety.
We’ve also been asked how firefighters feel about all of this. The truth is that if we feel any disappointment, it is that the ongoing legal battles have slowed progress toward improving service levels, staffing, and coordination for the residents we serve. Our commitment has always been to building a stronger, more effective system of fire and emergency services for this community.
In recent days, we have seen a wave of misleading and inflammatory statements online, including claims that the district “acted illegally,” that a judge “ruled against” Elk Creek Fire, or that fire leadership is engaged in “empire building.” These narratives are not grounded in fact, and they do a disservice to the community. Residents deserve better than exaggerated claims and personal agendas presented as fact.
None of these claims are supported by the actual legal record. No court found that Elk Creek Fire acted illegally. No ruling determined that the district violated any statute. In fact, the only ruling in this process was the County’s approval of the consolidation, which supported Elk Creek’s position. The recent agreement to end litigation, a consent agreement, was exactly that: a mutual decision to stop spending taxpayer dollars on an open-ended appeals process that the plaintiffs themselves stated they would pursue all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court if they did not get their preferred outcome.
Firefighters show up every day for this community. We respond to fires, medical emergencies, wildland threats, and the worst moments of people’s lives. What weakens public safety isn’t regional planning or discussions about long-term service needs - it’s misinformation that erodes trust and distracts from the real work of building a resilient, well-staffed, well-coordinated fire service.
As always, we stand united with our volunteers in our shared mission of safeguarding this community, and Local 4710 will continue leading with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to the residents who depend on us.
Elk Creek Fire Department
